General Policies & Procedures — Utah Addendum

Utah State Addendum

Great Beginnings Academy — General Policies & Procedures

Partner Company: ABC Great Beginnings | Locations: Utah

State Licensing Authority: Utah Department of Health and Human Services — Division of Licensing and Background Checks (DLBC), Office of Licensing, Child Care Licensing (CCL)

Governing Regulations: Utah Administrative Code R381-100 (Child Care Centers)

This addendum supplements the GBA General Policies & Procedures Manual. It applies only to ABC Great Beginnings locations in Utah. Where this addendum specifies a requirement that differs from or adds to the GBA universal policy, this addendum governs for Utah locations. Where this addendum is silent, the GBA General Policies & Procedures Manual applies.

Section 1 — Illness and Health Exclusions

1.1 Fever Threshold and Illness Exclusion — GBA Universal Policy Applies

Utah child care licensing (R381-100-15, “Health and Infection Control”) does not set a specific numeric fever threshold or a mandated return-to-care waiting period. The rule uses general language — “infectious disease,” “unusual or serious illness,” and “sudden onset of illness” — and requires only that an ill child be separated in a supervised space until pickup. GBA’s universal 100.1°F fever threshold and 24-hour symptom-free (without fever-reducing medication) return requirement apply at all Utah locations, and exceed Utah’s minimum.

1.2 Additional Utah Procedural Duties

Beyond GBA’s universal illness exclusion policy, Utah licensing (R381-100-15(22)–(23)) imposes two additional procedural duties at Utah locations:

  • Same-day notification to the local health department when a child or employee has an infectious, unusual, or sudden-onset illness.
  • A de-identified illness or parasite notice posted at the facility for at least 5 business days.

1.3 Communicable Disease Reporting — Utah Contacts

In addition to reporting to corporate as required by GBA policy, Utah locations must report reportable communicable diseases per the statewide Communicable Disease Rule (R386-702):

  • Statewide 24/7 reporting hotline: 1-888-EPI-UTAH (1-888-374-8824)
  • Utah DHHS Bureau of Epidemiology: (801) 538-6191
  • Local health department directory: ualhd.org

“Immediately notifiable” diseases (such as measles, pertussis outbreaks, meningococcal disease, and tuberculosis) must be reported by phone within 24 hours; a longer list of diseases (including varicella, COVID-19, mumps, and hepatitis B/C) must be reported within 3 working days.

Section 2 — Medication Administration

2.1 Medication Administration — Utah Requirement (Stricter than GBA Universal Policy)

Utah licensing (R381-100-17) is more restrictive than GBA’s universal medication policy. At Utah locations, written parental authorization is required before administering any medication — including over-the-counter medication — not just prescription or life-threatening-condition medications. The authorization must specify dosage, condition, times/dates, and instructions.

  • Parent-supplied medication must be in its original, pharmacy-labeled container.
  • Center-supplied OTC medication requires separate per-instance parental consent (written, or verbal if documented and signed at pickup).
  • Medication storage: locked, and at least 48 inches above the floor (non-refrigerated) or 36 inches (refrigerated; liquids in a leakproof container).
  • Every administration, error, or reaction must be logged, with records kept on site for 6 weeks.

Utah locations must follow this all-medication authorization and documentation standard in place of GBA’s universal prescription-only threshold.

Section 3 — Inclement Weather

3.1 Inclement Weather Closures — GBA Universal Policy Applies

Utah licensing sets no weather-based closure trigger. R381-100-9(18)(c) requires only that walkways and entrances be kept safe and cleared of ice and snow within a reasonable time, and R381-100-14 requires a general written emergency plan (severe weather is one example scenario for the required semi-annual drill). GBA’s universal case-by-case, Center Director’s-judgment closure policy applies at all Utah locations without modification.

Section 4 — Pest Control and Extermination

4.1 Pest Control Notice — GBA Universal Policy Exceeds Utah Minimum

Utah licensing (R381-100-15(2)) requires only that a provider “take safe and effective measures to prevent and eliminate the presence of insects, rodents, and other pests” — it imposes no parent notice or posting requirement for child care centers (Utah’s school-specific IPM notice rule, R392-200-18, explicitly excludes child care centers). GBA’s universal 48-hour parent notice, posted signage, SDS availability, and 3-year recordkeeping policy already exceeds Utah’s minimum and applies at all Utah locations as GBA’s own voluntary practice.

Section 5 — Safe Sleep (Infant Care)

5.1 Utah Safe Sleep Requirements

Utah licensing (R381-100-22, -24, and -7) is consistent in philosophy with GBA’s universal AAP-based safe sleep policy (back-to-sleep, firm surface, no soft bedding, individual sleep space), but adds specific technical and training requirements that apply at all Utah locations:

  • Infants must sleep only in equipment designed for sleep (crib, bassinet, porta-crib, or playpen) — never a mat, cot, pillow, bouncer, swing, or car seat — placed on their back unless a health care provider has documented an exception.
  • Cribs must have no entanglement hazards, a tight-fitting mattress, a mattress-to-rail height of at least 20 inches (12 inches if the child cannot yet sit up), and slats no more than 2-3/8 inches apart, and must be manufactured after June 28, 2011 or otherwise certified.
  • Cribs, cots, and mats must be spaced at least 2 feet apart and must not block exits.
  • No soft toys or loose blankets are permitted in the sleep space.
  • Staff must receive SIDS-prevention and safe-sleep training both before working with infants and annually thereafter.

Section 6 — Tuition and Fee Rate Changes

6.1 Tuition Rate Change Notice — GBA Universal Policy Applies

Utah sets no minimum notice period to parents before a tuition or fee rate change, and no requirement to notify the Office of Licensing of a rate change. GBA’s standard 30 days’ written notice to families already satisfies and exceeds this (nonexistent) floor and applies at all Utah locations without modification.

Section 7 — Licensing and Regulatory Compliance

7.1 State Licensing Authority

ABC Great Beginnings locations are licensed by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Division of Licensing and Background Checks (DLBC), Office of Licensing, Child Care Licensing (CCL) program. All state licensing files and most recent inspection reports are available for review by parents upon request at the center.

  • DLBC Child Care Licensing: (801) 538-4242
  • DLBC Website: dlbc.utah.gov/home/office-of-licensing/child-care/
  • Address: Multi-Agency State Office Building, 195 North 1950 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116

7.2 Parent Right to Review Licensing Records

Parents and guardians have the right to review the center’s most recent state inspection report and licensing file. Please ask the Center Director for access.

7.3 Staff-to-Child Ratios — Utah Requirement

Utah licensing (R381-100-10) sets minimum staff-to-child ratios and maximum group sizes by age, which apply at all ABC Great Beginnings locations. Two caregivers are required once a group exceeds 8 children or has more than 2 infants/toddlers present:

  • Infants (0–11 months): 1 staff to 4 children (max group 8)
  • Younger toddlers (12–17 months): 1 staff to 4 children (max group 8)
  • Older toddlers (18–23 months): 1 staff to 5 children (max group 10)
  • 2-year-olds: 1 staff to 8 children (max group 16)
  • 3-year-olds: 1 staff to 12 children (max group 24)
  • 4-year-olds: 1 staff to 15 children (max group 30)
  • 5 years and older / school-age: 1 staff to 20 children (max group 40)

In a mixed-age group, the ratio for the youngest child present governs. Confirm current staffing practice meets or exceeds these ratios at all times.

7.4 Immunization Requirements — Utah Requirement

Utah licensing (R381-100-6(13)–(15)) requires that, before admitting any child under age 5, the center have on file current immunizations, a catch-up schedule in progress, a legal exemption, or (for foster/homeless children) a 90-day grace exemption. Required vaccines per the Utah DHHS Immunization Program include Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Pneumococcal, Varicella, Polio, Hib, DTaP, and MMR.

Medical, religious, and personal/philosophical exemptions are all permitted in Utah, generally requiring completion of an online education module or consultation with the local health department. Providers must submit annual data to the state immunization registry.

7.5 Background Check Requirements — Utah Requirement

Utah licensing (R381-100-8) requires every covered individual — owners, directors, staff, and volunteers age 16 and older — to complete a background-check application and fingerprinting through the Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI), covering both state and FBI databases. FBI “Rap Back” continuous monitoring generally means re-fingerprinting is not required unless:

  • The individual has been inactive with a DLBC-licensed facility for 180 or more days,
  • The individual has resided out of state since their last check, or
  • The individual is turning 18 without having been previously fingerprinted.

Staff must self-report any new arrest or conviction within 48 hours. A detailed list of disqualifying offenses appears at R381-100-8(7)–(9).

7.6 Transportation Requirements — Utah Requirement

For ABC Great Beginnings locations that provide transportation, Utah licensing (R381-100-20) requires:

  • Written parent permission on file per child before any transport (vehicle, walking, or transit).
  • An enclosed, registered, maintained vehicle equipped with safety restraints and first-aid supplies.
  • A driver at least 18 years old with a valid license for the vehicle class.
  • Interior temperature maintained between 60–85°F; children never left unattended; vehicle locked with keys never left in the ignition.
  • Written disclosure to parents if the provider lacks transportation liability insurance.

If an ABC Great Beginnings location does not provide transportation, this section does not apply.

Section 8 — Items for Future Review

The following items have been identified for future Utah addendum development as additional source material becomes available:

  • Holiday schedule — ABC Great Beginnings observes a specific Utah holiday schedule. A confirmed holiday list should be added here once finalized.
  • Final citation check — several citations above were confirmed against Cornell LII and Justia mirrors of the Utah Administrative Code rather than the live adminrules.utah.gov site; a final verification pass against adminrules.utah.gov is recommended before this addendum is treated as final, particularly for R386-702 (Communicable Disease Rule), which shows a recent effective-date update.

This addendum was last updated: July 2026